Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - March/April 2022

72 Online excellence E-commerce experts Optiseller spotlights five new online trends that will affect all online sellers in 2022 In the past two years, we have seen e-commerce change and grow to meet the demands of the new COVID-19 world. As we continue into 2022, it is vital for all online sellers to look ahead and plan for what is to come. According to e-commerce experts Optiseller, there are five new e-commerce trends that will affect all online sellers this year. Optiseller experts say it doesn’t matter what platform or marketplace you sell on, these trends can and will affect every aspect of selling online in the year ahead. 1 Online sales are continuing to increase It’s no surprise that the first trend we look at is that online sales are continuing to increase at a rapid rate. According to a survey conducted by Credit Karma, a personal finance start-up, about 70% of Brits say buying online has become their preferred shopping method, up from less than half prior to the coronavirus pandemic. With the decline of the high street, more and more people are shopping from the comfort of their own homes. The global research from Episerver, which surveyed more than 4,500 shoppers, found that 38% of UK consumers buy online at least once a week, more than any other region surveyed. Closely followed by 26% in the US and 21% in Australia. Richard Falconer, COO at Optiseller, explains: “These figures are promising and put into context the opportunities that are out there for online sellers. However, sellers need to stand out from their competition as marketplaces are only going to become even more competitive. eBay alone has identified that there were over 100,000 new ‘pandemic start-ups’ formed in 2020 during the height of the UK lockdown. These new businesses have sold over 72 million items across listings to the 29 million eBay shoppers who use the platform every day. Highlighting the need for all sellers to consider their listings, promotions and positioning to stay ahead of the competition. 2 Mobile shopping is growing rapidly If your site isn’t optimised for mobile transactions, you need to step into the 21st century now or you’re going to lose out. Commonly known as m-commerce, mobile commerce is the process of buying and selling products or services through a mobile, tablet or another hand-held device. And with today’s society being mobile obsessed there has never been a better time to be mobile-friendly. According to Ofcom people in the UK check their mobiles every 12 minutes daily, just think of all the traffic and potential customers you could miss out on. Falconer comments: “Mobile shopping has the very real potential to become the top channel for online purchasing and could change consumer shopping habits forever. According to Insider Intelligence mobile will inch closer to becoming

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